Fandom Fridays
"Fandom Fridays" is a teen group that meets the first Friday of every month to celebrate fandoms. This group was the idea of several teens who approached me about making it a reality. The teens select the fandom each month and help guide the activities we use. This is a way for teen fans to meet each other and build community using a shared love of pop culture.
Different fandoms we've celebrated include: Harry Potter, the TV show Supernatural, Star Wars, DC, Marvel, "Pretty" Vampires (Vampire Diaries, Twilight, The Originals), and Stranger Things. Each month we play trivia, watch funny videos (i.e. Bad Lip Reading), and debate major questions...all based on the selected fandom. We also have a snack that is loosely related to the fandom. For example, we had an Eggo waffle buffet for the Stranger Things celebration.
I encourage costumes at each event. This is a strictly judgement-free zone where the teens can feel happy about sharing their love for all things pop culture.
Teens at La Porte County Public Library Fandom Fridays: Supernatural event, dressed as Dean Winchester, Castiel...and a pickle.
Monicah Fratena
Type: Active
Age: Middle school
Optimal size: 11-20
Estimated cost: $1 - $25
Planning time: <1 hour
Frequency: Monthly
Learning outcomes
Community: Teens build community! Often times the teens meet each other during Fandom Fridays. They would not have considered being friends until they discovered their shared love of X fandom.
Learning: Heated debates lead to learning self-management and also the ability to effectively communicate their views. Teens certainly discover what they are passionate about, and they can reflect on why they love elements of these fandoms.
Social Emotional Learning: Teens are able to build their self-confidence by showing that they are "experts" in their fandoms. They are also invited to wear costumes, which takes quite a bit of self-awareness and comfort that they will be fully accepted by their peers at this event.
Instructions
Talk to your teens about starting a fandom group! Let them list what fandoms they love and how they can celebrate with different activities. My main guideline when taking suggestions is that the fandom cannot be too obscure. I recommend becoming very familiar with the fandom that will be used, so that you can participate with the teens. This also demonstrates that you care about their interests.
I create a slideshow for each event as my outline. This helps guide me through the hour long program, without missing any of the activities I have planned.
Evaluation
The teens really enjoy Fandom Fridays! I have learned which fandoms are more popular with my group versus what is trending nationally. For example, Supernatural was hugely popular, while Marvel was less so. Each community is different, which makes knowing your own teens so crucial.
I tried crafts with my teens, but they were not interested. There are a lot of great craft options to use if your teens enjoy them.
We have been able to maintain civility at the events. The teens claimed ownership immediately and are constantly offering suggestions for new fandoms and new activities. Their enthusiasm has made Fandom Fridays my favorite teen event to host.
Other resources
I use Pinterest for game ideas centered around that fandom. Kahoot also provides many different quizzes for different fandoms.
If you are interested in using any of the activities I created for this series, please feel free to contact me at mfratena@laportelibrary.org. I'm happy to share!